Policies

Student Behaviour and Good Standing Policy

RATIONALE

Wanneroo Secondary College aims to develop a school community that promotes commitment to personal, social and environmental responsibilities. The school provides a caring, supportive, safe and positive environment that challenges members to pursue personal excellence in all endeavours. It is Wanneroo’s core values of Self Discipline, Trust, Achievement and Respect that underpin our Student Behaviour Policy.

Students are encouraged and supported to exhibit our STAR values so that they might “Star in their Future”

Staff at Wanneroo Secondary College are committed to ongoing training and support that builds their capacity to:

Create inclusive, welcoming, safe and orderly learning environments
Recognising and acknowledging pro-social behaviours
De-escalating unsafe and/or aggressive behaviours

POLICY STATEMENT

The Student Behaviour and Good Standing Policy promotes student commitment in supporting our overarching school values of Self Discipline, Trust, Achievement and Respect.

POLICY SCOPE

The student behaviour policy outlines the expected behaviours of students to allow them to engage with their learning and achieve to their potential. It details school guidelines and responses in managing and responding to student behaviour that does not meet these expectations. The inclusion of Good Standing in the school behaviour plan reiterates to students the need to take responsibility for their actions and to reach their educational potential.

DEFINITIONS

Bullying: Bullying is ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm.

Classroom Management: The commonly accepted practices to minimise negative behaviours and maximise engagement.

Engagement: A balance between safety and accountability. Safe classrooms are where students feel like they can risk failure, accountable classrooms are where students are required to participate fully in the learning experience.

Good Standing: All students start the school year with Good Standing. Having Good Standing allows a student to participate in extra-curricular activities. Students lose their Good Standing when they are in breach of a number of the school rules, outlined in the policy below. The Good Standing Policy outlines the stages of Good Standing and how to regain Good Standing once lost.

HOY/HOLA: Head of Year/Head of Learning Area

Low-level behaviour: Behaviour exhibited by students which are usually in an effort to have a need met; calling out, talking out of turn, lack of work completion, etc. Low-level behaviours can be managed by the classroom teacher using a range of low-key skills.

Low Key Skills: Staff responses to behaviour which may be effective in resolving minor student misbehaviour, eg proximity, the look, minimal verbal, greeting etc.

Severe Behaviour: Behaviours which are severe in nature and require intervention from Senior Leadership and appropriate consequences.

SEQTA: Wanneroo Secondary College online record-keeping and school management system.

BEHAVIOUR EXPECTATIONS

Wanneroo Secondary College is committed to reinforcing and teaching positive behaviours, in and out of the classroom. Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is a whole school framework that focusses on teaching students how to behave appropriately and rewarding them when they do so.

At Wanneroo Secondary College we achieve this by teaching, encouraging and rewarding students for exhibiting our four Positive Behaviour Matrix Expectations.

Self-Discipline

Trust

Achievement

Respect

The school promotes a positive classroom environment, where teachers build a positive relationship with students through engaging curriculum, acknowledging, and responding to positive student outcomes through verbal communication, SEQTA communication, the awarding of STAR points and the use of low-key responses and other classroom management strategies to prevent and respond to low level behaviours.

Student behaviour expectations are outlined in the schools PBS behaviour matrix, The Wanneroo Way. These behaviours are explicitly taught and modelled at Wanneroo Secondary College and students who show these behaviours are acknowledged and rewarded for doing so.

5.1 RESPONDING TO BEHAVIOUR- IN CLASS

Staff at Wanneroo Secondary College are restorative in their practice and apply procedural fairness in decision making to ensure responses to behaviour are fair and proportionate, whilst prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all students and staff.

At Wanneroo Secondary College, staff use a multi-tiered system of support to identify and plan for students with behaviour support needs.

5.1.1 LOW-LEVEL BEHAVIOUR

Low-level misbehaviour will be managed by the classroom teacher using a range of classroom management strategies and low-key skills and recorded on the school’s online system (SEQTA) by the classroom teacher. If low-level behaviour issues continue, the teacher will liaise with the Head of Learning Area or Student Services Manager (or HoY) who can run a restorative process between the student and teacher focussing on solutions to any classroom issues and repairing damaged relationships.

The student’s Head of Year will monitor behaviour across the school. Continual low-level misbehaviour will result in a loss of Good Standing (at the discretion of the Principal) after targeted interventions by teacher, Head of Learning Area and Student Services have been unsuccessful. 15 negative behaviours in a term will start the loss of Good Standing process.

Restorative practice will be utilised at all times to support student behavioural choices.

5.1.2 SEVERE BEHAVIOUR

Behaviour of a severe nature, in or outside the classroom, will be referred directly to the Head of Learning Area or Student Services Manager. This may result in withdrawal from classes or normal

school activities, suspension, or in extreme cases, exclusion. Examples of severe behaviours, which will result in immediate suspension are inclusive of, but not limited to:

– Physical Aggression towards staff or students (fighting and recording or sharing fights, unhelpful by-stander behaviour)

– Abuse, threats, harassment or intimidation of staff or students (continued bullying of other students and swearing at or threatening/intimidating a staff member)

– Damage to or theft of property (stealing, graffiti and other vandalism)

– Violation of code of conduct or school rules (refusing the reasonable request of a teacher, Head of Learning Area, Head of Year, Associate Principal or Principal and failure to adhere to any of the school’s behaviour expectations)

– Possession, use or supply of illegal substances or objects (possessing, supplying or using/being under the influence of vapes, cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol or other drugs)

– E-breaches (inappropriate access of school technology and continued mobile phone violations)

For students with complex needs, staff work in collaboration with students and their parents/carers to develop plans for individualised and intense support and case management.

5.1.3 POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR

Classroom teachers are encouraged to explicitly teach and also respond to and reward positive behaviours in line with the schools PBS Policy. Ensuring students are praised for their efforts is crucial to improving a range of student outcomes, importantly their sense of belonging, accomplishment, and overall self-worth. Positive responses can include, but are not limited to:

Minimal verbal praise (well done)- can be responded covertly or overtly
Non-verbal acknowledgement (thumbs up)
Written acknowledgement (on a summative or formative piece of work)
SEQTA communication (Commendations & STAR points)
Awarding of STAR points for PBS expected behaviours
Communication home to parents
Other positive rewards as negotiated by classroom teacher
PBS rewards based on points awarded for positive behaviour

The school promotes publicly acknowledging students for their positive behaviour through Year Group assemblies, held at least twice a term.

5.2 RESPONDING TO BEHAVIOUR – OUT OF CLASS

Behaviour which occurs during out of class time (before and after school, Recess, Lunch) will be managed and recorded on SEQTA by the duty teacher who saw the behaviour occur. This could include disrespectful behaviours such as littering, ignoring a teachers instructions, being rude to staff or peers, swearing or cutting in line at the Canteen/Bus. Failure to adhere to staff instructions will result in a Head of Year following up with the student.

Consequences could include, but are not limited to, litter duty, detention, discussion/reprimand and/or parental and Head of Year contact.

Positive behaviour can be rewarded using any of the examples given in point 5.1.3

Negative behaviour which occurs off school site whilst a student is in school uniform and/or on school-authorised events or transport will be deemed as damaging the ‘good order and reputation’ of the school and will be investigated by the relevant Head of Year, who can apply appropriate consequences and support.

PARTICIPATION AND WORK COMPLETION

In order to demonstrate “Achievement” all students must demonstrate a willingness to engage in all learning and assessment activities to the best of their ability. As per the Assessment Policy, it is the responsibility of the student to attempt and submit all assessment items. Failure to do so may result in referral to the Head of Learning Area or Head of Year for discussion.

Students with additional learning needs are supported through group and individual education plans to promote engagement and achievement.

MOBILE PHONE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USE

In line with the Department of Education Student Mobile Phones in Public Schools Policy v1.2 and in order to demonstrate “Self Discipline”, student technology (phones/headphones) are not to be seen or heard between the first and last bells of the day. If a student is caught using technology without permission, it will be confiscated.

Step 1: Device can be collected from Student Services at the end of the day.

Step 2: Device needs to be collected by a parent or responsible adult at the end of the school day.

If a student refuses to hand in their mobile device, they will be referred to the Head of Learning Area (in-class) or Head of Year (out of class) who will confiscate the mobile device and give the student an additional consequence for failing to adhere to the instruction of a teacher.

Any student who refuses to hand their mobile device to a Head of Learning Area or Head of Year will be suspended and a loss of Good Standing will apply. Any student who breaches the Mobile Phone and Electronic Device policy more than twice in a school term will be suspended and will lose their Good Standing.

The Phone Steps reset every term.

The school’s Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) resources exist to provide access to curriculum related information. By using these resources students are agreeing to use computers, the network, the Internet and peripherals in a responsible and appropriate manner.

Infringement will mean cancellation of network privileges for a period and additional disciplinary action may also be taken.

For more information, please view our online version of acceptable use policy in the Related Documents.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Students are to demonstrate ‘Self Discipline’ to the school and will correctly wear uniform as it is intended.

Any students not adhering to the School Uniform Policy will be recorded in SEQTA by a teacher at the beginning of the school day, notifying the Head of Year. On a second violation in a school term, the Head of Year will apply an appropriate consequence and support the student in adhering to correct uniform. This may include providing the student with a replacement item of clothing or asking a parent to bring the correct uniform to the school.

Failure to adhere to the School Uniform Policy after further interventions have been unsuccessful may result in a loss of Good Standing and consequences at the discretion of the Head of Year.

ATTENDANCE

Students are required to attend school every day. They demonstrate “Trust” by attending school and all of their classes every day. Any absence from school must be resolved through parent/guardian contact via phone, in writing or email to the appropriate School Officer. It is the responsibility of students and parent(s)/guardian(s) to keep accurate evidence of absences, including medical certificates.

9.1 TRUANCY

Once on school site, students are required to attend their timetabled classes and stay in the designated areas during break times. If students are found to have deliberately not attended their timetabled class, or left school site without permission, this will be followed up by the student’s Head of Year and appropriate consequence and support will be given. Refusal to adhere to these consequences, or continued truancy, may result in a Loss of Good Standing, at the discretion of the Head of Year.

9.2 SIGNING IN AND OUT

When a student is late to school, they must sign in through Student Services.

Prior to attending any outside school appointments or commitments, students must follow the school ‘sign out’ process. This is done by presenting to Admin where they will be issued with a Department of Education Leave Pass for Partial Absence from School.

Failure to sign out where appropriate will be marked as truant and may result in a loss of Good Standing, at the discretion of the Head of Year.

9.3 HOME ROOM

Home Room is compulsory and students arriving late or truanting Form will be followed up by the form teacher and the Head of Year, who will provide appropriate support and/or consequence. Failure to reasonably explain absences or late arrival to school will be marked as unacceptable absences and may lead to a loss of Good Standing, at the discretion of the Head of Year.

SUSPENSION

Suspension from Wanneroo Secondary College is reserved for serious breaches of the school’s behaviour management policy and will only be applied in severe cases of student behaviour. The Principal has the authority to suspend.

If a student is suspended as a result of a serious breach or failure to abide by school rules, he/she will automatically lose their Good Standing.

Following a suspension, the student and parent/guardian(s) must attend a re-entry meeting with the Head of Year and any relevant staff member to discuss the suspension, restore any relationships, set goals to avoid suspension re-occurring and start an education program targeted to the behaviour that resulted in suspension.

GOOD STANDING PROCEDURES

All students begin the school year with Good Standing and it is reset at the beginning of each Term (at the discretion of the Principal). When a student has lost Good Standing at any stage, he/she will be unable to attend any extracurricular or non-educational sporting or social functions for the duration of this period e.g., lightning carnivals, camps, athletics carnivals, mid and end of term rewards.

Suspension – automatic loss of Good Standing for a period of two weeks. A student will regain their Good Standing after displaying positive behaviour for two weeks whilst on a Good Standing Contract
15 negative behaviour entries in a term – automatic loss of Good Standing for a period of two weeks. A student will regain their Good Standing after displaying positive behaviour for two weeks whilst on a Good Standing Contract.